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Topic Review (Newest First)

04-09-2012 02:57 PM

EJO

Re: Sensible Cruising

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plumper

Why did you choose Amsteel?

Regarding boat size, one of my problems is berth size. Being 6'6" I chose my boat because of its bunk lengths not boat size. I think that the fun on a sailboat is inversely proportional to size.

Good point about size, yea at 300 lbs it is hard to use a quarter berth although when in it you won't roll much

04-09-2012 11:48 AM

misfits

Re: Sensible Cruising

I've spent the last week cruising thru this thread & watching Vega1860's videos "Pacific Crossing". To spend 55 days at sea sounds like a dream to me but for others (my wife, LOL) it would be pure hell.

For a 4 year old thread, there is a lot of good information here.

You just have to do whatever it is that feels right for you. Does it really matter if it's a 40footer or a 26 footer if you're out there doing it? I think not.

04-09-2012 11:19 AM

master80

Re: Sensible Cruising

All of a sudden thinking...something! different.
does anyone know some low viscosity high molecular weight oils? At least 15 carbons preferred..

Thanks in advance

No sailing for now!

04-07-2012 09:07 AM

unomio

Re: Sensible Cruising

We took the minimalist approach with our first cruising boat, a Pacific Seacraft 37. It was safe, fun to sail, and I could handle it alone in all but really bad weather. It didn't have refrigeration, a genset, or a watermaker (no real space) yet carried enough food and water for the two of us for weeks. Perfect boat--for some people, and we've seen a good number of 37's out here--but just too small. The Pacific Seacraft 40 is barely enough to really live on, especially if you're not hanging out on small palm-fringed islands or in the water most of the time (I can't be in the sun--melanoma). It has all the goodies, but I can't handle the sails except in the calmest weather. I think the best answer is to ask yourself what you want to do and where you want to go. If the answer is, "Both high and low latitudes, water sports and (classical) concerts in the cities," you'll need more room for clothes (including warm weather shorts and cold weather sweaters), equipment, a cabin heater, refrigeration (or at least a truly competent icebox), more charts, more spares, etc. If you want to go to deserted islands you'll need to be prepared to fix everything yourself, and provide all the necessary parts. My experience (and we've cruised for 45 years and been away from the US for three years now, messing around in the South Pacific and repairing the boat in exotic locations) is that guys like spartan and the gals prefer a few more comforts. Interesting, though, how my dear hubby has borrowed my craft gear to repair electronics, plumbing, and even the gen set....

And oh yeah--here in New Zealand we've been awfully glad to have the Espar cabin heater.

03-28-2012 05:54 PM

Brent Swain

Re: Sensible Cruising

I cruised for my first 17 years, and several Pacific crossings, mostly full time, before I installed my first battery and electrical system , or VHF on my boat. Never had refrigeration and never missed it. Never had a watermaker, nor ham radio, till a few years ago.

03-28-2012 03:59 PM

medicrene

Re: Sensible Cruising

If you want a perfect boat and perfect equipment for cruising, then consider a new hobby. If you wait for pefect you will never go. New boats and equipment have new and hidden problems. Old boats have the same old problems. Choose your set of problems, but there will alwyas be problems.

The best thing needed to cruise is an attitude that you can do it and an accpetance that it is time to do it. My wife and I will start our circumnavigation on May 3rd (weather permitting).

As for things I like on a boat? I like a large refrigerator/Freezer. I also like having a spare bedroom for guests. As such, we have a Hudson Force 50. Lots of room, but still small enough to single hand. We train to single hand, but sail double handed or with guests.

Sail with what you have. Enjoy what it gives you. That is the best way to enjoy sailing.

The Witchdoctor.

07-29-2010 12:51 PM

m050120

So, I've finally made it all the way through this forum and I must say, I think everyone is pretty much in agreement that there is no one size fits all category. There are obviously benefits and detractors for every decision.

My wife and I are two years away from "retiring" ( at the ripe old age of 31) and going on an open ended cruise. I've been watching boats and prices and I have decided that the majority of what we will end up with will be based on what is on the boat when we buy it. There are a few items that I plan on adding regardless of how the boat is equipped though. My Admiral has made it clear that she would value a water maker, which I plan on piecing together. I also want to have a SSB with a pactor modem for communication to make our lives easier and reduce the amount of worrying our families will do.

Of course there are some niceties on my short list, like a small GPS plotter (Garmin 441s) and the Standard Horizon GX2100 (my thought being that the AIS will replace the need for radar in terms of being run down by large ships at night or in the fog). But if the boat already has an equivalent in good working order, I would hesitate to rip it out.

We'll carry the typical redundant battery powered alternatives, but we've worked hard to save enough to make this dream financially achievable and I know that it will take some restraint on my part to not load up the boat and deplete our "cushion funds."

There are a lot of well equipped cruisers out there, whether the PO gave up on the dream, or is ready to switch boats. Our biggest concern is where to get the boat. Most of the boats that have some of the gear we want (good ground tackle, cruising sails, some of the above mentioned gadgets) are located on the coast, while we are in Chicago. We'll have to decide if want to try to equip something here ( I imagine it might be difficult to find someone with a lot of experience installing SSBs in the midwest) or if we want to move a boat here to move onto it ($$), or do we rent a truck and take what will fit and drive right to a marina in FL?

07-10-2010 09:55 AM

Whitewings2003

reply

I went in a 38 ft Ingrid, I had single handed all over the San Juans and leaving from Port Angeles to La Paz. I was at the very limit of what a 63 year old guy could handle. Go now!

06-05-2010 11:43 AM

wind_magic

Quote:

Originally Posted by wind_magic

Many things in this world are just fine the way they are, a spoon for example, it could be bigger, have a longer handle, be more ornate, made out of gold, or whatever, but you know, adding all that stuff to a spoon doesn't make it a better spoon, it has been adapted over a long period of time by many generations of people to be what it is - just the right size, shape, length, weight, made out of the right materials, with the right surface finish, etc, to be good for what it is used for, eating. There's really just not much you can do to a spoon to make it a better spoon, it is perfectly suited to the needs of the human beings who use it.

Off topic, but related to the above ..

I wanted four black metal 3" C clamps, the kind you can get at any auction, something I can maintain with a little tool oil from time to time and keep on the boat. I went to Lowes, they had some kind of galvanized clamps, and I was getting ready to buy them and thought, you know, I know it is weird, but I'd rather just have the black metal ones like the bigger clamps I have, I wanted them to match. So I decided to go to Home Depot. There they couldn't do metal colors at all, they decided to powder coat theirs a crimson red. By this time it has become a mission! Fine, Ace hardware maybe ? Nope, they had some kind of construction orange metal paint on theirs. Another store maybe ? No they had the same kind of paint except theirs was a battleship gray color. Finally gave up and went to the antique store and found them. That's what I was talking about above, why is it that people have to complicate everything, what's wrong with a black metal 3" C clamp that manufacturers seem to think they have to improve on it ? The thing is better without the color powder coat or paint that is going to chip off the first time it bangs against another tool.

I know, I'm getting fussy as I get older.

05-26-2010 03:19 AM

IslanderGuy

I have not done any long term cruising at this point, just weekend to multi-week trips, but I do plan too and so have been studying these types of issues for a long time. Now, I will not have the unlimited budget "problem", in fact we will need to fall into the extremely frugal cruisers crowd, so perhaps I bias my opinions to make myself feel better but here is one small thing I noticed...

I read a lot of blogs, books, magazine articles, etc of people, most very much better off then me financially who are cruising and one thing I often notice is how often they are waiting around because something broke, Things I do not even have on my boat. (This is just a huge generalization, and not meant to be negative in anyway toward anyone.)

I seem to read a lot of things like "So we are stuck in this port while we wait for X part to get shipped in, and then Y broke, and now we need to wait for three more weeks for the only repair guy to get to it and we really want to get going before the next storm blows in." And often times all the things that are breaking are things I will likely not be able to afford on my boat.

No matter how much money you have, even if you can pay someone to do everything, you still need to wait around for the parts and the people to be available to get the job done. I realize that a LOT of things will break on my old boat as well, but simply put, the fewer systems, the fewer things CAN break.

Of course few systems and smaller boats have huge negatives too. A lot less daily comfort, less room for things, no freezer, so not as fancy of food. I'm not knocking big boats or cool toys, but for me, a big part of the dream of cruising is to get away from the headaches of dealing with way more stuff then I need. Even if I could pay someone to fix it, I would still need to arrange it, wait for the guy to show up, make sure he does a god job, dealing with the effects if he doesn't, etc.

I agree for everyone there is a "sweet spot" to shoot for. I am still young(ish) and can give up a lot more comfort. As with all things in boats, it is a balancing act on a personal scale. But I think I see a lot of people being unhappy when it is not as easy to just throw money at a problem while cruising as it was back home.

Of course, I'll be rowing around to all the big boats looking to bum ice from their freezers, or asking if they got the weather report off their satellite system.

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